Seeing Ashley Darby get down as her drag king alter ego Ashton in a pair of sparkly pasties was just one of the unexpected moments in Season 9, Episode 16 of The Real Housewives of Potomac.
Another royal treat came thanks to a familiar Bravoleb face in the crowd: Below Deck legend Kate Chastain made a surprise appearance to cheer Ashley on for her big event.
Kate was in the house alongside RHOP’s Gizelle Bryant, Karen Huger, Mia Thornton, Wendy Osefo, Keiarna Stewart, and Stacey Rusch as well as friends Jacqueline Blake and Jassi Rideaux.
“I’m so excited for the show,” Kate said, after being introduced to the group by Gizelle.
The former chief stewardess was then grinning ear to ear watching Ashley’s uninhibited performance. In fact, at one point during the routine, Kate gleefully dusted Ashton with dollar bills.
Kate’s joy as an audience member reflected Ashley’s feelings post-performance. “I’m super excited,” she told the crowd, which included her mom, Sheila, her Uncle Lump, and her love interest Josh Gudenburr. “I just want to say thank you to everyone who came tonight. It means a lot to me.”
In a confessional, Ashley revealed that appearing as Ashton made her feel “so amazing. I finally did something that I’ve always wanted to do to pay homage to my bisexuality,” she said. “I was really nervous. I was scared.”
But Ashley was buoyed to make her drag debut, or, as she called it, “gay-but,” among friends and family. “When I tell you I have the best support system, “she said. “They just love me, and they support me so much.”
Why was Kate Chastain on The Real Housewives of Potomac?
A Bravo household name thanks to her six splashy seasons of Below Deck, Kate has also appeared on The Traitors, a reality competition series on Peacock. It’s unsurprising she’s made close friends in the Bravo world, and the RHOP episode identified her as a friend of both Ashley and Gizelle.
BravoCon fans will recall that in November 2023 at Caesars Forum Las Vegas, Ashley and Kate were among the stars who attended the Mom’s Night Out: WWMD? panel talk. Kate spoke candidly about the demands of being a mother to son Sullivan Cay, who turns 2 in May, while Ashley observed that her sons, Dean and Dylan, never let her get away with anything. “They’re shade assassins,” she said at the time.
Meanwhile, Gizelle and Kate were among the co-hosts of the late-night series called Bravo’s Chat Room, where they discussed just about everything: personal experiences, current events, pop culture news, and unforgettable Bravo happenings.
Ashley in pasties giving Karen Huger an exuberant private dance definitely counts as a memorable moment.
The Real Housewives of Potomac airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Bravo.